The task of sealing an interface between a movable object and a stationary object is a persistent challenge in the field of mechanical engineering. The “slide outs” utilized in many recreational vehicles represent an application where this challenge arises. In recreational vehicles having slide outs, one or more portions of the side wall can slide out to an extended position when the vehicle is parked and slide back to a retracted position when the vehicle is in motion. Slide outs are used to provide additional living space inside the recreational vehicle when the vehicle is parked.
FIG. 1 depicts a recreational vehicle 10 having a slide out 20 in its passenger side wall. Although slide outs, such as the slide out 20, provide additional living space inside the recreational vehicle, water, air, insects, and light can enter the interior of the recreational vehicle through gaps between the slide out and the frame of the recreational vehicle. Conditioned air from inside the recreational vehicle can also leak out through the same gaps. For example, in the recreational vehicle 10, leakage can occur through gaps at the top 22, sides 24, or base 26 of the slide out 20. To prevent such leakage, various types of seals have been proposed and utilized. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,614,676, 7,614,677, and 9,038,322; U.S. Publication Nos. 2016/0114715, 2016/0137170. Notwithstanding the existing seal technology, further improvements can be made.